Brachychiton rupestris, commonly known as the narrow-leaved bottle tree or Queen

sland bottle tree, is a tree in the family Malvaceae native to Queensland, Austr
alia. Discovered and described by Sir Thomas Mitchell and John Lindley in 1848,
it gained its name from its bulbous trunk, which can be up to 3.5 metres (11 ft)
diameter at breast height (DBH). Reaching 10 25 metres (33 82 ft) high, the Queensl
and bottle tree is deciduous, losing its leaves briefly between September and De
cember. The leaves are simple or divided, with one or more narrow leaf blades up
to 11 centimetres (4 in) long and 2 centimetres (0.8 in) wide. Cream flowers ap
pear from September to November, and are followed by woody boat-shaped follicles
that ripen from November to May. No subspecies are recognised.
As a drought-deciduous succulent tree, B. rupestris adapts readily to cultivatio
n and is tolerant of a range of soils and temperatures. It is a key component an
d emergent tree in the endangered central semi-evergreen vine thickets also known
as bottletree scrub of the Queensland Brigalow Belt. Remnant trees are often left
by farmers on cleared land for their value as shade and fodder trees.
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]

Taxonomy and naming[edit]

Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower

Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,

with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile

Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen

tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also

known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc

e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]

Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r

arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen

us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t

he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]

B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]

In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t

he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro

m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia

in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo

late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]

In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision

of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a

nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra

lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea

e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]

Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa

sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know
n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst

rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]
Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris
with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]
Brachychiton rupestris grows as a succulent tree reaching 10 20 metres (33 66 ft) (r
arely 25 metres (82 ft)) in height,[3] though plants in cultivation are usually
shorter.[4] The thick trunk is 5 15 metres (16 49 ft) tall, with a 1 3.5 metres (3.3 11.
5 ft) diameter at breast height (DBH). It has dark grey bark and is marked by sh
allow tessellation and deeper fissures. Smaller branches are light green or grey
, as are the trunks of immature trees. Like those of all members of the genus, t
he leaves are alternately arranged along the stems.[3]
B. rupestris is deciduous. Trees in their native habitat are typically leafless
between September and December; the timing, duration and extent of leaf drop may
be affected by extremes of rainfall or drought.[3] Sometimes trees shed leaves
from only some branches.[5] On every tree, the leaves vary in shape, ranging fro
m narrow and elliptic to deeply divided.[6] The upper surface is glossy, contras
ting with a pale undersurface. The adult leaf blades are 4 11 centimetres (1.6 4.3 i
n) long and 0.8 2 centimetres (0.3 0.8 in) wide with pointed (acuminate or apiculate
) tips. They have a raised midrib on the upper and lower surface, with 12 25 pairs
of lateral veins that are more prominent on the upper surface, arising at 50 60 d
egrees from the midrib. The compound juvenile leaves have 3 9 spear-shaped (lanceo
late) or linear lobes. These each measure 4 14 centimetres (1.6 5.5 in) long and 0.3 1
centimetre (0.1 0.4 in) wide.[3]
Panicles of creamy-yellow flowers with red markings[6] appear from September to
November in the species' native range. These arise from axillary buds on end bra
nches. Each panicle contains 10 30 flowers and is 3 8 centimetres (1.2 3.1 in) long, a
nd each flower is 0.5 1 centimetre (0.2 0.4 in) long and 1.3 1.8 centimetres (0.5 0.7 in
) wide. The length of the lobes of the perianth is more than half the perianth d
iameter.[3] Like all Brachychiton species, B. rupestris is monoecious each plant h
as distinct male and female flowers.[3] Male flowers have 15 stamens, with pale
yellow anthers, while female flowers have cream or white stigmas surrounded by r
udimentary stellate (star-shaped) carpels, which sit atop the ovaries.[3]
Groups of 3 to 5 woody boat-shaped follicles,[6] each containing 4 to 8 (or occa
sionally up to 12) seeds, develop from November to May. The follicles, smooth on
the outer surface and hairy inside, split along their length to reveal seeds. T
he seeds, which are ovoid with a smooth surface, and 6 7 millimetres (0.24 0.28 in)
long by 3.5 4.5 millimetres (0.14 0.18 in) wide, are covered by a hairy coating know

n as the exotesta.[3]
The closely related Proserpine bottle tree (Brachychiton compactus) that occurs
only in the vicinity of the town of Proserpine can be distinguished by its more
oval leaves, more compact flower heads, and longer ellipsoid follicles.[7] The u
ndescribed Ormeau bottle tree has brighter lime-green new foliage and leaves but
is otherwise similar to the Proserpine bottle tree.[8]
Taxonomy and naming[edit]
Leaves
Juvenile
Adult
The species came to the attention of the scientific community when explorer Sir
Thomas Mitchell observed the trees on his expedition through Queensland in 1848
and published an account in Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropic
al Australia in the same year. He came across them as he ascended Mount Abundanc
e near present-day Roma, remarking that "The trunk bulged out in the middle like
a barrel, to nearly twice the diameter at the ground, or of that at the first s
pringing of the branches above. These were small in proportion to their great gi
rth, and the whole tree looked very odd[9] In the same publication, English bota
nist John Lindley provided the first formal description.[10] Lindley placed it i
n the genus Delabechea as the sole representative Delabechea rupestris.[3] The gen
us name was selected by Mitchell to honor the director of the Geological Survey
of Great Britain, Henry De la Beche, while the Latin specific epithet rupestris
(meaning living among rocks) alludes to the rocky hilltop habitat of specimens o
bserved by Mitchell.[11] Ferdinand von Mueller, the Government Botanist in Victo
ria, renamed it Brachychiton delabechei in 1862,[12] incorporating the genus Del
abechea into Brachychiton.[3]
In his landmark Flora Australiensis, English botanist George Bentham published t
he first key for the nine described species of Brachychiton, and relegated them
to a section of Sterculia.[3] Hence the Queensland bottle tree became Sterculia
rupestris.[13] Von Mueller maintained his recognition of Brachychiton as a separ
ate genus.[3] German botanist Otto Kuntze challenged the generic name Sterculia
in 1891, on the grounds that the name Clompanus took precedence. He republished
the Queensland bottle tree as Clompanus rupestris.[14] German botanist Karl Mori
tz Schumann gave it its current binomial name in 1893,[15] which was accepted by
Achille Terraciano of the Orto botanico di Palermo[16] and subsequent authoriti
es, and remains current.[2]
In 1988 Gordon Guymer of the Queensland Herbarium published a taxonomic revision
of Brachychiton; he classified B. rupestris in the section Delabechea along wit
h the related and newly described Proserpine bottle tree.[3] A third species, fr
om southeast Queensland, has been recognised but not yet described.[8] Unique to
the section, all three species have bulbous trunks and can have large cavities
in the vertical wood parenchyma.[7] The genus Brachychiton lies within an Austra
lasian clade within the subfamily Sterculioideae (previously family Sterculiacea
e) in a large broadly defined Malvaceae. It is only distantly related to Stercul
ia, belonging to a different clade within the Sterculioideae.[17]
The name of the genus is derived from the Greek brachys, short, and chiton, tuni
c, a reference to the loose seed coats. Brachychiton was for many years misconst
rued as being of neuter gender first by the genus describers Heinrich Wilhelm Scho
tt and Stephan Endlicher and later by von Mueller and others with the specific nam
es then incorrectly amended.[3] Thus the bottle tree's binomial was recorded as
Brachychiton rupestre, now regarded as an orthographical variant.[18] Besides "Q
ueensland bottle tree", common names for the species include "narrow-leaved bott
le tree" and "bottle tree".[2]

Brachychiton x turgidulus is a naturally occurring hybrid cross of B. rupestris

with the kurrajong B. populneus subsp. populneus.[3] It is particularly prevalen
t east of Boonah.[3]
Distribution and habitat[edit]
Female flower
Brachychiton rupestris is found in central Queensland from latitude 22 S to 28 S,
with the western limits of its range defined by the 500 mm rainfall isohyet. It
grows on the tops and slopes of hills or ridges in low hilly country, in clay, s
hale, or basalt soils. It is an emergent tree in forests dominated by brigalow (
Acacia harpophylla), hoop pine (Araucaria cunninghamii), or ooline (Cadellia pen
tastylis).[3] It is always present in the Central semi-evergreen vine thicket also
known as Bottletree Scrub of the Brigalow Belt. Other common species include broa
d-leaved bottle tree (Brachychiton australis) and belah (Casuarina cristata). Th
e bottle tree is replaced by the kurrajong in similar communities in New South W
ales.[19]